Developer Prototype

The giveaway Windows 8 tablet's box labels it as a developer prototype.

At the Microsoft BUILD conference in Anaheim, Calif., which officially kicked off Sept. 12, the software giant gave attendees a new toya tablet PC loaded with the Developer Preview version of the company's upcoming operating system: Windows 8. The device, which some at Microsoft referred to as a slate, is called the Samsung Windows Developer Preview PC. It features the Windows 8 development platform, including Visual Studio 11 Express. The device sports a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor and a Samsung Super PLS display. The slate offers AT&T's 3G wireless service, including UEFI BIOS. Other goodies include 4GB of DDR3 (double data rate 3), 64GB of solid state drive (SSD) storage, USB support, a MicroSD card, an HDMI port, as well as a pen. The Samsung and Microsoft slate also has a docking station with USB, HDMI and Ethernet ports. Overall, the device sports an 11.6-inch diagonal screen, weighs 909 grams and is 12.9-mm thick. Also at BUILD, Microsoft offered attendees a full rundown of Windows 8, including a look at new tools for developers to help write applications for the more than 1 billion people around the world who use Microsoft Windows every day.

Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.